CULLMAN, Ala. – Voters will return to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 8, for the General Election. Cullman County voters will see 10 statewide and two local amendments on their ballots. Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
The following will appear on the Cullman County ballot:
Governor
- Yolanda Flowers, D
- Kay Ivey, R, Incumbent
- James Blake, L
Lieutenant Governor:
- William Ainsworth, R, Incumbent
- Ruth Page-Nelson, L
United States Senator (longtime Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby’s seat)
- Will Boyd, D
- Katie Britt, R
- John Sophocleus, L
U.S. Representative, 4th Congressional District
- Rick Neighbors, D
- Robert Aderholt, R, Incumbent
- Johnny Cochran, L
Attorney General
- Wendell Major, D
- Steve Marshall, R, Incumbent
State Senator, District 4
- Garlan Gudger, R, Incumbent
State Representative, District
- Write in
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Place 5
- Anita Kelly, D
- Greg Cook, R
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Place 6
- Kelli Wise, R
Secretary of State
- Pamela Laffitte, D
- Wes Allen, R
- Jason Shelby, L
State Treasurer
- Young Boozer, R
- Scott Hammond, L
State Auditor
- Andrew Sorrell, R
- Leigh Lachine, L
Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries
- Rick Pate, R
- Jason Clark, L
Public Service Commission, Place 1
- Jeremy Oden, R, Incumbent
- Ron Bishop, L
Public Service Commission, Place 2
- Chip Beeker, R
- Laura Lane, L
Member, State Board of Education, District 6
- Marie Manning, R
District Attorney, 32nd Judicial Circuit
- Champ Crocker, R
District Court Judge, Cullman County, Place 1
- Chad Floyd, R
Cullman County Coroner
- Jeremy Kilpatrick, R
Cullman County Commission, District 1
- Kerry Watson, R
Cullman County Commission, District 2
- Garry Marchman, R
Cullman County Commission, District 3
- Kelly Duke, R
Cullman County Commission, District 4
- Corey Freeman, R
Cullman County Sheriff
- Matt Gentry, R
Cullman County Board of Education, District
- Write in
State Representative, District 11
- Randall Shedd, R
State Representative, District 12
- James Fields, D
- Corey Harbison, R, Incumbent
State Representative, District 14
- Timothy Wadsworth, R
Cullman County Board of Education, Fairview, District 2
- Shane Rusk, R
Cullman County Board of Education, Hanceville, District 4
- Kenny Brockman, R
Cullman County Board of Education, Vinemont, District 6
- Mike Graves, R
Cullman County Board of Education, Good Hope, District 7
- Kerry Neighbors, R
PROPOSED CONSTITUTION TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT STATEWIDE:
- CONSTITUTION OF ALABAMA OF 2022
Proposing adoption of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, which is a recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, prepared in accordance with Amendment 951, arranging the constitution in proper articles, parts, and sections, removing racist language, deleting duplicated and repealed provisions, consolidating provisions regarding economic development, arranging all local amendments by county of application, and making no other changes. (Proposed by Act 2022-111)”
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 1: Aniah’s Law
Known as Aniah’s Law, the amendment states that an individual is eligible for reasonable bail “unless charged with capital murder, murder, kidnapping in the first degree, rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, sexual torture, domestic violence in the first degree, human trafficking in the first degree, burglary in the first degree, arson in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, terrorism when the specified offense is a Class A felony other than murder, and aggravated child abuse of a child under the age of six.”
Currently, the state constitution guarantees bails for defendants with the exception of those charged with capital crimes. Amendment 1 would also include those charged with other violent felonies.
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 2: Give local communities access to federal broadband funds
Sponsored by Rep. Randall Shedd, Amendment 2 would give local governments the authority to grant federal broadband infrastructure funds. It would “authorize the state, a county, or a municipality to grant federal award funds or any other source of funding designated for broadband infrastructure by state law to public or private entities for providing or expanding broadband infrastructure.
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 3: Communication of reprieve or commutation of death sentence
The amendment would require the governor to serve notice to the attorney general and to a victim’s family before commuting or reprieving a death sentence. Currently, the law does not require a victim’s family to be notified if their loved one’s assailant death sentence is commuted by the governor.
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 4: Effective date
The amendment would mandate that any election law to have an effective date at a minimum of six months before the general election. The election law would be required to go in effect each year with the first week of May, making the six-month minimum.
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 5: “Orphans’ business”
Requested by the Alabama Law Institute, the amendment would remove language deemed archaic and does not mirror the way the state handles minors. Probate judges handle guardianships and adoptions, yet the juvenile courts are tasked with handling the legal matters with children and juveniles.
Othni Lathram, the director of the Alabama Law Institute, explained, “It makes it clear there’s no inherent authority of the probate judge over juvenile judges.”
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 6: Ad valorem tax use
Amendment 6 would enable cities to use ad valorem taxes for bond repayments and capital improvements opposed to taking out loans or bonds.
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 7: Economic development for counties
The amendment would “specify that all counties and municipalities may exercise the authority and powers granted by Amendment 772 to provide for economic and industrial development; to permit notice for Amendment 772 projects to be published in any newspaper in circulation in the county or municipality; and to ratify all actions and agreements of any county or municipality done under Amendment 772 unless subject to pending judicial proceedings on the date of adoption of this amendment.”
The current Amendment 759, which Amendment 7 would update, limits the ability of county governments to draw in new business. Currently, 14 counties have added individual amendments to the Alabama State Constitution Amendment 759. Amendment 7 would allow more counties in the state to have the same economic development opportunities without the requirement of court approval for each project.
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 8: Shelby County sewer system
Specific to Shelby County, the amendment would allow sewer systems owned by some private entities to use public roads under certain circumstances. The private owned sewer systems that serve Shelby County would be brought under Public Service Commission regulations.
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 9: Jefferson and Tuscaloosa Counties sewer systems
Specific to Jefferson and Tuscaloosa Counties, the amendment would mandate Public Service Commission regulations to certain private sewer systems which use public roads in the Lake View city limits. Lake View lies on the border of Tuscaloosa and Jefferson Counties.
- STATEWIDE AMENDMENT 10: Recompilation Amendment
Amendment 10 is procedural and authorizes the Code Commissioner to “to renumber and place constitutional amendments ratified before or on the same day as the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, based on a logical sequence and the particular subject or topic of the amendment.”
- LOCAL AMENDMENT 1: Election of County School Superintendent
The local Amendment 1 would allow voters the opportunity to elect the Cullman County School Superintendent for a four-year term. Currently, the position is appointed.
- LOCAL AMENDMENT 2: County Revenue Commissioner term
Local Amendment 2 would set the Revenue Commissioner’s term of office to begin on Dec. 1 following the 2026 general election and every six years following.
Relating to Cullman County; proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that the term of office of the Revenue Commissioner would commence on December 1 following the general election in 2026, and every six years thereafter.
Get more information at www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes.
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